Changes to Customer Match Support in the Google Ads API

Starting on April 1, 2026, the Google Ads API will no longer accept new adopters of Customer Match. As with our recent announcement for the use of session attributes and IP address in click conversions in the Google Ads API, we’re recommending that new adopters of Customer Match integrate with the Data Manager API as their primary user data import API.

Developers who have not adopted Customer Match, or have not uploaded data to a Customer Match list between October 2025 and March 2026, will receive an error if they attempt to upload to a Customer Match list. Developers who have already adopted Customer Match can continue importing user data using the Google Ads API while they integrate with the Data Manager API.

Technical details

  • Developers will be allowlisted by their developer token.
  • Once this change is rolled out, users who are not on the allowlist will receive the error CUSTOMER_NOT_ALLOWLISTED_FOR_THIS_FEATURE when attempting to upload user data to a Customer Match list using either the OfflineUserDataJobService or UserDataService.
  • See the documentation for integrating with the Data Manager API for Customer Match imports for Google Ads.

Reach out to the Google Ads API support or Data Manager API support channels if you have any questions.

If you have any questions or want to discuss this post, please reach out to us on our “Google Advertising and Measurement Community” Discord server.

- Ben Karl, on behalf of the Google Ads API Team

Workspace admins can allow Gemini app conversation sharing for their organizations

Google Workspace admins can now enable users in their organization to share their Gemini chat conversations by creating public links to share and publish. Previously, this capability was only available to users with personal Google accounts; this update expands access on web to Gemini users with a work or school account.

Creating public links to share Gemini conversations can improve collaboration, efficiency, and content sharing. Recipients do not need their own account. This feature lets you share full conversations - including prompts and responses - with a clickable URL.

Public links that were previously created in the Gemini app will continue to be accessible unless the links are deleted from the Gemini app. Learn how to delete a public link in the Gemini app.

Google Workspace admins will have a new control to allow users in their organization to share their Gemini conversations with public links.

Getting started

  • Admins: Public Gemini chat link sharing will be OFF by default and can be enabled at the domain, organizational unit (OU), or group level using a new control in the Admin console. Visit the Help Center to learn more.
  • End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about sharing your chats in Gemini. If you choose to share a chat, anyone with the link can read the chat, reshare it with others, and, except for chats created with Gems or for users under the age of 18, continue the chat with Gemini Apps on their own. Do not create public links to chat conversations containing confidential information or any data you wouldn’t want to be seen or shared publicly.

Rollout pace

Availability

  • Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts who are signed in to the Gemini app

Resources

Workspace admins can allow Gemini app conversation sharing for their organizations

Google Workspace admins can now enable users in their organization to share their Gemini chat conversations by creating public links to share and publish. Previously, this capability was only available to users with personal Google accounts; this update expands access on web to Gemini users with a work or school account.

Creating public links to share Gemini conversations can improve collaboration, efficiency, and content sharing. Recipients do not need their own account. This feature lets you share full conversations - including prompts and responses - with a clickable URL.

Public links that were previously created in the Gemini app will continue to be accessible unless the links are deleted from the Gemini app. Learn how to delete a public link in the Gemini app.

Google Workspace admins will have a new control to allow users in their organization to share their Gemini conversations with public links.

Getting started

  • Admins: Public Gemini chat link sharing will be OFF by default and can be enabled at the domain, organizational unit (OU), or group level using a new control in the Admin console. Visit the Help Center to learn more.
  • End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about sharing your chats in Gemini. If you choose to share a chat, anyone with the link can read the chat, reshare it with others, and, except for chats created with Gems or for users under the age of 18, continue the chat with Gemini Apps on their own. Do not create public links to chat conversations containing confidential information or any data you wouldn’t want to be seen or shared publicly.

Rollout pace

Availability

  • Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts who are signed in to the Gemini app

Resources

A new era for choice and openness

Posted by Sameer Samat, President of Android Ecosystem




Android has always driven innovation in the industry through its unique flexibility and openness. At this important moment, we want to continue leading the way in how developers distribute their apps and games to people on billions of devices across many form factors. A modern platform must be flexible, providing developers and users with choice and openness as well as a safe experience.

Today we are announcing substantial updates that evolve our business model and build on our long history of openness globally.  We’re doing that in three ways: more billing options, a program for registered app stores, and lower fees and new programs for developers.

Expanded billing choice on Google Play for users and developers

Google Play is giving developers even more billing choice and freedom in how they handle transactions. Mobile developers will have the option to use their own billing systems in their app alongside Google Play’s billing, or they can guide users outside of their app to their own websites for purchases. Our goal is to offer this flexibility in a way that maximizes choice and safety for users. 

Leading the way in store choice 

We’re introducing a program that makes sideloading qualified app stores even easier. Our new Registered App Stores program will provide a more streamlined installation flow for Android app stores that meet certain quality and safety benchmarks. 

Once this change has rolled out, app stores that choose to participate in this optional program will have registered with us and so users who sideload them will have a more simplified installation flow (see graphic below).  If a store chooses not to participate, nothing changes for them and they retain the same experience as any other sideloaded app on Android.  

This gives app stores more ways to reach users and gives users more ways to easily and safely access the apps and games they love. 

This Registered App Store program will begin outside of the US first, and we intend to bring it to the US as well, subject to court approval.


Lower pricing and new programs to support developers  

Google Play’s fees are already the lowest among major app stores, and today we are taking this even further by introducing a new business model that decouples fees for using our billing system and introduces new, lower service fees. Once this rolls out:

  1. Billing: For those developers who choose to use Google Play’s billing system, they will be charged a market-specific rate separate from the service fee. In the European Economic Area (EEA), UK, and US that rate will be 5%.

  2. Service Fees:  

    1. For new installs (first time installs from users after the new fees are launched in a region), we are reducing the in-app purchase (IAP) service fee to 20%.  

    2. We are launching an Apps Experience Program and revamping our Google Play Games Level Up program to incentivize building great software experiences across Android form factors associated with clear quality benchmarks and enhanced user benefits.  Those developers who choose to participate in these programs will have even lower rates. Participating IAP developers will have a 20% service fee for transactions from existing installs and a 15% fee on transactions from new app installs.

    3. Our service fee for recurring subscriptions will be 10%.








Rollout timelines 

This is a significant evolution, and we plan to share additional details in the coming months. To make sure we have enough time to build the necessary technical infrastructure, enable a seamless transition for developers, and ensure alignment with local regulations, these updated fees will roll out on the following staggered schedule:

  • By June 30: EEA, the United Kingdom and the US.

  • By September 30: Australia  

  • By December 31:  Korea and Japan

  • By September 30, 2027: The updates will reach the rest of the world.

We will also launch the updated Google Play Games Level Up program and new App Experience program by September 30 for EEA, UK, US, and Australia and then it will roll out in line with the rest of the schedule above. 

We plan to launch Registered App Stores with a version of a major Android release by the end of the year.

Resolving disputes with Epic Games 

With these updates, we have also resolved our disputes worldwide with Epic Games. 

We believe these changes will make for a stronger Android ecosystem with even more successful developers and higher-quality apps and games available across more form factors for everyone. We look forward to our continued work with the developer community to build the next generation of digital experiences.



Chrome for Android Update

   Hi, everyone! We've just released Chrome 145 (145.0.7632.159) for Android. It'll become available on Google Play over the next few days. 

This release includes stability and performance improvements. You can see a full list of the changes in the Git log. If you find a new issue, please let us know by filing a bug.


Android releases contain the same security fixes as their corresponding Desktop releases (Windows & Mac: 145.0.7632.159/.160, Linux: 145.0.7632.159) unless otherwise noted.

Harry Souders